Adjustable headrest



May 2, 1944. N. WILLIAMS I 2,347,359 1 ADJUSTABLE HEAD REST Filed Dec. 3. 1940 JIWO'IIfOL LOU/6E N. W/Ll/AMS,

Patented May 2, 1944 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2,347,859 ADJUSTABLE HEADREST Louise N. Williams, Raleigh, N. 0.

Application December 3, 1940, Serial No. 368,283

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-177) The invention relates to a head rest, and has for its object to provide a rest for the head while the hair is in the process of being dried by means of a separate portable hair drier and to relieve the sitter of the uncomfortable strain of holding the head in a fixed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable head rest which may be securely attached to the back of an ordinary chair.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sanitary metal tubular head rest shaped to the nape of the neck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a convenient method of adjusting the height of the head rest to the most comfortable position for the sitter by means of ratchets and a spring catch, making the adjustment speedy and secure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide rubber discs at points of contact with the back of the chair to prevent slipping of the rest and at the same time prevent scarring the finish on the chair.

With the above and such other objects in view as may hereinafter more fully appear, I have invented the device shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation;

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan View;

Figure 5 is a cross section of one of the rubber discs for contacting the front of a chair;

Figure 6 is a cross section of another rubber disc, and swivel screw support for contacting the rear of a chair, and

Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross-section through the spring catch adjusting assembly.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the following specification and in the several views in the drawing in which I indicates my improved metal head rest, concaved upwardly and forwardly, and adapted to fit the nape of the neck. The head rest is supported by a metal rod 2, square in cross section, descending at an angle of approximately 20 degrees from horizontal, and curving into a vertical staff 3 having machined notches 8 which serve to maintain the head-rest at any adjusted height by means of a spring catch assembly. The spring catch assembly consists of a block 4, through which a stair 3 passes, a plate 5 screw-held to the block to hold the staff in position, a cylinder 6 affixed to the plate 5 and in which a spring 6' is positioned, a knob I, and a stem 9 slidably held and spring-pressed by the spring 5' within the cylinder 6 to engage the rack teeth 3 on the staff 3.

A catch, on the end of the stem 9, is held in position by the spring 6' enclosed within the cylinder 6 and released by knob I on stem 9, permitting the staff and head rest to be raised or lowered as desired. By releasing knob I the catch engages in a notch 8 and the stall is secured in its adjusted position.

The staff block 4 is supported by a metal horizontal bar I9 welded to the block. This bar is turned forwardly at each end I2 and is twisted and bent downwardly to form the support I3 for the front contact cushions I4 (detailed in Figure 5), and is twisted slightly transversely to accommodate a conventional curve on the back of a chair.

Where bar I9 curves at I2 metal bars II are welded and curved rearwardly, twisted and bent downwardly to form a support ID to accommodate adjustable thumb screw fasteners I5 (detailed in Figure 6).

Cushions I4 and fastener I5 are similar in construction, having a metal base and rim holding a firm rubber pad, scored on the contact surface to provide maximum friction and at the same time avoid scarring of the surfaces contacted.

Cushions I4 are held by means of a set screw through supports I3 while fastener I5 is held on the end of screw stem I6 by means of a swivel knob on the end of screw stem within a socket 20 on the back of fastener I5.

Fastener I5 is provided with a swivel socket receiving and holding the end of adjustable screw stem yet permitting sufiicient freedom for the fastener cushion to assume a position parallel to the surface contacted.

Screw stern I6 is controlled by metal thumb knob I 8 which is, in turn, held by lock nut I1.

I claim:

1. An adjustable head-rest including a horizontal supporting bar, bifurcated legs bent downwardly from each end of said bar, fixed contact cushions attached to one portion of each bifurcated leg, an adjustable contact cushion swiveled to a stem screw-threaded to the other portion of each bifurcated leg, a block afilxed to the approximate center of the said supporting bar, a rack-bar slidably received in said block, a springpressed pawl mounted in said block and adapted to engage the said rack-bar, a forwardly bent portion on the upper end of said rack-bar, and an arcuate tube forming a head-rest attached at its approximate center to the outer end of said bent portion of the rack-bar.

2. A head-rest including a horizontal bar bent forwardly and twisted downwardly at each end thereof forming forward legs, bars secured to the said horizontal bar at the approximate points of its forward bends, said bars being twisted rearwardly and bent downwardly forming rear legs, fixed cushions secured to thelsaid forward legs, cushions swiveled on the ends of screw-threaded stems screw-threaded through the said rear legs, a block secured to the approximate center of the said horizontal bar, a spring-pressed pawl mounted in said block, a rack-bar slidably positioned in the block in position to be engaged by said pawl, a forward bend at the upper end of said rack bar, and an arcuate rod secured to the forwardly bent end of the rack bar, the said arcuate rod forming a support for a persons head.

LOUISE N. WILLIAMS. 

